Knock On Effects

I am not too worried about finding myself persona non gratia for taking photos from a bus I’m not driving. As opposed to taking photos from a bus I am driving. In this instance I am on the side of Stagecoach here. This delay caused by the woodcarver is clear and does interfere with bus timetables. I know this from personal experience from my time as a 12 driver and from my experience on Saturday. On my way up to Newton the traffic was clear and we made good time all the way to Newton. The only time we dropped below about 35 mph was when we stopped at bus stops. As the bus went past the lay-by the wood carver was just setting up. On the way back traffic from Pen Inn was slowed right down until we passed the carvings. I then watched the traffic going the other way, an hour before it was travelling briskly all the way to Newton, now it was a very slow crawl all the way from Scott’s Bridge. What had happened since I went up to Newton to cause this change? The carvings had arrived, that’s what.

As to only a small delay, I do know from experience that 10 minutes is not an unusual length of time to be added going up to Newton and the same added coming back. If this is only a single journey between Newton and Torquay it wouldn’t be too bad but on an average shift a bus driver will make this trip 3 or maybe 4 times. Each time he will get later and later so instead of getting into the terminus at Newton and Brixham and having the 5 minute scheduled rest break he has to unload, load and pull straight off. Then when it comes to his meal break which may be scheduled for 45 minutes he is late and has to rush his meal and have his break reduced to the bare minimum of 30 minutes, not to good for the digestion. On top of that, because he is late some passengers will be moaning at him, not good for anything. Then he may be tempted to rush and end up driving like a another driver mentioned recently. But he resists and then he ends up finishing late and getting home late and his wife will have a go at him and the children will wonder who this strange man is, not good for the marriage. Little knock on effects spreading out like ripples in a pond. Who knows where they end up?